Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (Child Custody)

Child custody cases in Colorado involve the “allocation of parental responsibilities” between a child’s parents, or a third party acting as a parent to the child. Child custody can either be sought via an independent case or as part of a dissolution of marriage (divorce) case, if there are children.

Child custody cases are heard at the district court level and will be assigned to either a judge or magistrate’s courtroom. For a brand new child custody case to be filed in Colorado, the state must be the child’s “home state,” which generally means that the child has lived in Colorado for at least 182 days prior to the filing of the case. This jurisdictional requirement stems from the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act.

Though child custody cases are generally between the two parents, Colorado statute, specifically C.R.S. 14-10-123, allows for non-parents to also seek allocation of parental responsibilities of a child if certain conditions exist. Generally speaking, non-parents can seek custody of a child if the child is in their primary care and is not in the care of either parent, or had been in their care for 6 months, with less than 6 months passing since the child left their primary care. In a custody case between a parent, or parents, and a non-parent, the court must have “clear and convincing” evidence that it is in the child’s best interest to allocate custody to a non-parent over a parent’s objection.

A child custody case is commenced with the filing of a Petition for Allocation of Parental Responsibilities, a Summons, and a Case Information Sheet. Unless the parents file jointly, the respondent will either need to be personally served or sign a waiver of service.

If the parties are able to agree on how to resolve these issues, they can submit a final agreement or parenting plan to the court and be done. If they do not agree on these issues, a judge or magistrate will ultimately have them decided at a contested hearing. Parenting Time schedules will normally entail regular parenting time provisions, as well as provisions for holidays and vacations. As relates to decision-making, orders will relate to major medical, educational, or general welfare decisions and will be allocated either jointly between the parents, solely to, or a mixture.

Procedurally, after the petition is filed, an initial status conference with either a judge/magistrate or family court facilitator will be scheduled, to occur within 42 days of the case being filed. At the ISC, substantive issues will be discussed in terms of what each parent is seeking as relates to parenting time, decision-making, and child support. Any emergency issues can also be raised. In most jurisdictions, the court will allow for the setting of a temporary orders hearing should there be disagreements regarding what parenting time should be while the case is pending. Also in most jurisdictions, the court will require the parties to attend mediation prior to going to their final orders hearing. If the parties are able to settle prior to any contested hearing, temporary or permanent, they can avoid going to court via submission of an agreement (stipulation) resolving the issues.

When child support is also an aspect of a custody case, the parties will be required to exchange sworn financial statements and other financial disclosures pursuant to C.R.C.P. 16.2. Additionally, when issues are disputed, the result of which is the scheduling of a hearing, parties will need to adhere to deadlines tied into witness disclosure, including the disclosure of any child custody experts. In a child custody case, the court can appoint either a Child and Family Investigator, pursuant to C.R.S. 14-10-116.5, or order a Parental Responsibilities Evaluation pursuant to C.R.S. 14-10-127.

Child custody or parental responsibility cases not only entail working towards arriving at final orders, but can also arise after those orders are entered. Family law courts in Colorado retain jurisdiction over child custody related issues until a child turns 18. As such, parenting time and decision-making orders are modifiable until then.

Child custody cases can be handled with or without a family law attorney, though having a lawyers representation is generally advisable.

His passion and ferocity kept me going through this long ordeal.When I first came to Plog & Stein it was simply discuss the renegotiation of child support. Little did I know that within 72 hours I would be retaining Steve Plog for a custody battle. His passion and ferocity kept me going through this long ordeal. I have recommended him to my friends and I would recommend him to anyone with who wants honest and effective representation. Carolyn

★★★★★

I recommend Sarah and the attorneys at Plog & Stein to anyone that has these types of family issues and need strong, knowledgeable representation.I am thankful for the job Sarah McCain did for me in my fight with my ex-wife for visitation rights with my daughter. Sarah and the team at Plog & Stein handled my case in an efficient, affordable, and professional manner. Sarah negotiated a new parenting plan as well as acceptable visiting rights and even a favorable modification in my child support. I recommend Sarah and the attorneys at Plog & Stein to anyone that has these types of family issues and need strong, knowledgeable representation. Tom

★★★★★

At the end of the day he was able to produce a settlement that was fair to both parties.I highly recommend Stephen Plog for anyone in need of a top notch domestic relations attorney. After a 27 year marriage, Stephen represented me in a complicated and sometimes bitter divorce with many unique challenges. At the end of the day he was able to produce a settlement that was fair to both parties but limited my alimony payments to only 3 years. He is smart, cuts to the chase, knows the court system in the Denver metropolitan area and can be trusted to get his clients the best possible settlement. Neal

★★★★★

Their service was outstanding, with prompt responses to all of my questions.Sarah McCain and Plog & Stein were wonderful to me during such a difficult time in my life. Their service was outstanding, with prompt responses to all of my questions and creative ideas throughout the proceedings to help things go smoothly. Sarah's compassion, patience, and expertise were especially invaluable to me. I highly recommend them. Sandy

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We serve clients throughout the State of Colorado including, but not limited to, those in the following localities: Denver County including Denver; Arapahoe County including Aurora, Centennial, Greenwood Village, and Littleton; Broomfield County; Douglas County including Highlands Ranch, Parker, Castle Rock, and Franktown; Jefferson County including Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, and Golden; Adams County including Brighton, Westminster, Northglenn, and Thornton; Boulder County; Elbert County including Elizabeth and Kiowa; El Paso County; Weld County; Larimer County.